The present invention relates to compound filter making apparatus and processes, and more particularly to apparatus and processes for continuously making in a single operation a compound cigarette filter rod having spaced apart measured amounts of filter media on the inside thereof and an outside sheath of tow material.
Specialty cigarette filters containing particular filter media, such as granulated filtration or flavor media, for example, are typically made by combining filter segments, each individually made and subsequently combined in a separate filter combining machine. Some are created by combining two filter plugs of cellulose acetate tow or similar material with a space between the plugs, and then filling the space with granular material. Other arrangements include combining plugs of one composition with plugs of a different composition. In each instance, the individual filter components are initially made in separate operations and then combined together in another operation to produce the finished product.